Soothing Strings

by Hilary Decent

Jean Ferguson is sitting by the window in a comfy chair, a crocheted comforter beside her, surrounded by dozens of reassuring family smiles from a collection of photographs displayed around the cozy living room. Widowed after a 65-year marriage, and now in need of hospice care, 88-year-old Jean lives with her daughter, Joy, and her family. Today is a good day, because Jean and Joy have a very special visitor. Scott Stuart visits them twice a month to bring the soothing gift of music into their home.

Carefully unpacking a Celtic harp, he sits directly in front of Jean as flowers begin to bloom outside her window.

"I never knew anybody who played a harp, outside of angels," Jean whispers. Ironically, Stuart actually resembles a Renaissance angel—with curly blond hair and piercing, blue eyes.

The dulcet tones of the harp bring a stillness to the air. After each song, Jean breathes "very nice." She sits and nods her head as she absorbs the calming tunes, from How Great Thou Art to Edelweiss. As Stuart plays and sings Someone to Watch Over Me, Jean strokes her hand with her finger, and mouths some of the words, almost as if she were singing softly with some of those angels.

Stuart has worked as a music therapist for Vitas Hospice Care for three years in the Chicago area. Most of his patients live at home or in nursing homes, only staying in a hospice building for short periods of time, if they need pain management or their families need respite.

"I bring live music and verbal support to enhance the quality of life of people who have a terminal diagnosis," Stuart explains. "As family members are often there, it helps them too. It gives everyone meaningful time together, a period of relaxation and positive emotions."

When assessing a new patient, Stuart will ask them what kind of music they like, and what they would like him to do for them.

"It's very important for them to have control over what I do," he says. "When you are sick you have so many doctors and caregivers telling you what to do, it is good to have some choices left."

Stuart says he doesn't find working with the terminally ill to be depressing.

"If I was that person I know how happy I would be if someone came to play for me," he says. "I try not to take it home with me."

In order to keep his own life balanced, in his spare time Stuart enjoys taking part in community theatre, and in June appeared in The Summer Place's production of The Secret Garden in Naperville.

"Being a music therapist is a calling, but I need the balance of both this and performing. Performing helps me to use a different part of who I am," he explains.

Stuart is also able to help patients prepare a musical legacy to leave for their families.

He spent an entire year helping one man, a former speech therapist, to compile a 30-minute compact disc of stories and relevant music.

"Initially he was very depressed. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had to be confined to bed. Before he was ill he was very active. His wife had suffered a stroke and was unable to speak to him. He really couldn't understand the point of music therapy at first," Stuart recalls. The legacy became a secret project that gave the patient something else to focus on. He worked hard at choosing music that had meant something to him in his life, plus little stories for each of his family members, showing how much they meant to him.

Stuart had expected the CD to be given to the family on the patient's death, but by the time it was finished, he had actually recovered to the point where he no longer needed hospice care.

"He invited me to join his family when he handed over the CD in person," Stuart says. "They sat there laughing, enjoying a really good experience. My connection with the patient is in the moment. I always hope I will see them again, but I know I won't always. That's just how it is. Death doesn't always have to be a failure."